Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shopping carts and, more particularly, to checkout locations at which the amount owing for the contents of a shopping cart is identified for a consumer.
Background Art
In many different types of businesses in which consumers accumulate their own selection of articles for purchase, a shopping cart is used that has a main frame that is supported on wheels and a handle that can be grasped by a user and manipulated to propel and steer the cart. A main basket or receptacle is provided forwardly of the handle and is situated to allow a user to conveniently place articles therein as they are progressively removed from shelves, or the like. Below the main receptacle, a shelf is provided for the support of additional articles. The structure supporting the shelf reinforces the frame and provides a solid base to support potentially large and relatively heavy objects.
Typically, businesses will provide checkout units near exit locations. The units vary in terms of the details of how they are configured. However, generally they each define an aisle through which shopping carts can be advanced. With a cart in a checkout position in an aisle, it is situated adjacent a processing assembly operable by an individual standing at an adjacent station. That individual commonly will record the price of each of the articles through conventional scanning-type technology and eventually accumulate the scanned articles for transportation from the business in bags or boxes.
Many businesses are set up for high volume product turnover. Long lines and slow individual processing can be a deterrent to shopping at a particular business. The same speed at checkout that contributes to a better consumer experience also at times causes revenue loss through either inadvertent oversight on the part of a checkout person or theft.
A common problem arises with articles stored on the lower shelf of the shopping cart. The configuration of each checkout unit is such that the checkout person in a standing position at his/her station can conveniently view and potentially handle articles in the upper basket. However, the articles on the lower shelf may be difficult to view unless special care is taken, even though the upper basket is normally made from a see-through, mesh material. This problem is aggravated by the fact that cart aisles are purposely made very narrow to most efficiently utilize valuable floor space. Thus, the option does not exist to shift the cart laterally towards the side opposite that to which the checkout person is located to give that person a better vantage point to view the region under the main basket.
A checkout person in a hurry is likely to miss at least a handful of articles on lower shelves during the course of a day when potentially hundreds of transactions may occur. A would-be thief may also strategically position articles so that it is difficult for the checkout person to conveniently see them on a lower shelf. This problem is aggravated by the fact that consumers may inadvertently fail to present articles on a lower shelf for price scanning and such conduct is typically treated as an innocent act to maintain good customer relations. Thus, a would-be thief has a minimal risk of facing any consequences, even if caught in the act of attempting a theft.
One attempted solution to the above problem has been to place a convex mirror on a structure on the side of the aisle opposite that occupied by the checkout person. The mirror is configured and located so that the checkout person at his/her station can observe a reflected image of the entire height of the shopping cart, including any articles on a lower shelf. While the use of mirrors does effectively address the above problem and make the contents of the lower shelf readily observable to a checkout person, it has been rejected by businesses as intrusive to people's privacy.
More particularly, a convex mirror will reflect an image of the entire cart and the adjacent consumer from a side perspective. That image will include the consumer's body region from the feet potentially to the neck area. Viewing of this image may be offensive to people having clothing fully covering this body region. However, it is potentially more intrusive and offensive to persons wearing limited, or certain revealing types, of clothing.
In the interest of respecting the privacy interests of its consumers, businesses have thus avoided the use of such convex mirrors and have contended with the loss of revenue resulting from missed articles at checkout. In high volume operations, while the individual losses may be insignificant, the accumulation of the same can have serious economic consequences.
The industry continues to seek out ways to avoid missed articles at checkout while at the same time efficiently dealing with consumers during the checkout process to add to the consumer experience.